Gulls, gusts and a particular grin

Today at Blåvand Fuglestation was in many ways, in accordance with our familiar vernacular as birders, a variegated day. With the latest weather forecast of a rainy and windy morning in mind, many of us were gone to bed looking forward to sleep in today. However, there was no drumming of rain on the roof but a slight drizzle. Nevertheless, I was delighted by a few more minutes under the warm covers. Most birds decided for a late start as well, as there was not much movement to be seen during the sea watch routine. Only the Red-throated Divers seemed to have missed the call for a day off. They were seen flying high, perhaps in search of some sun above the clouds.

Despite several layers of clothing, I was struggling to keep up both, body temperature and excitement towards the end of the sea watch. Luckily, James had just the right recipe for restoring my spirits. He came running with that special look on his face that could only mean an exceptional bird sighting. For those of you who want to find it yourself, here is the view through his scope this morning:

For those of you who are similarly skilful to me in identifying gulls and appreciate a little help, below you can see the second-largest of all gulls, a Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus):

Today, it was not only us adjusting our working schedule due to weather conditions. Our neighbours at the military area must have called it a day as well. Their red balloons were lowered early for the weekend. As no more ringing would be possible today, Morten was happy to venture safely through the military training grounds. He came back with that familiar birder grin, telling us about a pair of White-tailed Eagles he had seen resting on the dunes nearby.

By and large, fighting the gusts was rewarded today and I am looking forward to uncover tomorrow’s feathered curiosities.

Ringed birds today:  Robin, Wren, Lesser Whitethroat, Greenfinch

At the observatory: Morten, Maxim, James and Lisa